A recent survey revealed that not enough voters in the East Contra Costa Fire District would support a parcel tax of about $98 for approximately five years that would allow the district to keep all current stations open. Should the ECC Fire District wait and try again during the November election? Should it try to merge with another district or should cities take care of their own fire protection?

IT IS A DISGRACE that such a small percentage of residents in this county are getting involved in this issue thus far. Whether they are unaware or simply don’t feel it will affect them is unknown. For maximum exposure, I feel the parcel tax needs to be put on a ballot.

Debbie Bennett

THEY NEVER stop at five years. The problem is we just can’t trust politicians anymore! How long has East County been paying taxes for BART?

Theresa Peal Hartman

Antioch

NOT VOTING FOR this tax means that when you call for an emergency, your response time will be significantly delayed! Right now, it averages seven minutes. Can you imagine 10 or 15 minutes of waiting if your baby is seizing, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, or if your house is on fire? Let’s support these hardworking firefighters! The life they save could be yours!

Erika Cooper

TAXPAYERS PAY ENOUGH. We need the fire department. Cutbacks need to happen somewhere else to help keep the departments open. There are too many representing California in the government. Remove 10 of them and the whole state can keep their fire departments and leave the taxpayers money alone.

Diana Lavallee Pickard

Oakley

SO MANY people cannot simply afford an extra $98 on their property taxes. That is the sad state of the economy we are seeing. I see both sides — I wish there was a better solution.

Karanne Lackey

THE EAST Contra Costa Fire District fire board should place the proposed ballot measure on the June 2014 ballot.

Dylan Jones

This week’s question:

Are you satisfied with your city’s government? Why or why not? What do you think could be done better?

Email your response to bnews@bayareanewsgroup.com. or post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrentwoodNews. Please limit responses to a few sentences, and be sure to include your full name and city of residence. Not all responses will be published. Note: Please respond before Monday.

Otto Warmbier was arrested in January 2016 at the end of a brief tourist visit to North Korea. He had been medically evacuated and was being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center when he died at age 22.